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Genre: Fantasy Adventure
Release Date: 2012
Platform: PC, Mac
Version played: Steam (on PC)
Was it really only fifteen months ago that I reviewed The Book of Unwritten Tales, that polished homage to the classic third-person LucasArts point-and-click adventure? Now, we have a prequel to TBoUT called The Critter Chronicles, in which we learn how that curious duo of derring-do, Nate and Critter, first met up. (Actually, somewhere in between I played the German demo of CC, which includes the game's full first chapter. Had no clue what anyone was sprechen, but enjoyed it anyway.)
So, what's changed? Not much; a good idea as the first game got pretty much everything right. One not-so-obvious difference is that the minimum requirements have been jacked up. The first game ran beautifully on my 2.2 ghz laptop, but CC requires 2.4 ghz. Luckily, the game's options let me knock down the graphics and all went swimmingly. In fact, I didn't notice much difference.
Another curious thing that's happened since last we visited the mystical and frequently wacky land of Aventasia is the arrival of a hard mode! Will wonders never cease? Since I spent a good chunk of my TBoUT review whining about how the whole darn adventure gaming world was obediently plodding along in Telltale Game's easy-peasy footsteps, I admit I was gratified. Not, I know, that I had anything to do with it. Like most graphic adventures of recent years, CC came out over a year ago in Germany. Still, I welcome the change, whoever prompted it.
In the new, improved hard mode, players get a few more puzzles and a few fewer blatant clues, and the now near-universal "space bar illuminates hotspots" feature is automatically disabled. Did it make a big difference? Well, yes, sort of. I didn't go back and replay the game's five chapters in normal mode to compare, but judging by my experience playing the first game I'd say the new hard mode is a far happier choice for veteran adventure gamers. Just the absence of the infuriating Tutorial Mode is a blessed relief. The characters still throw you a line when they see you spending too much time having fun doing something other than advancing the game, but at least not as frequently.
Those who haven't played the first game are no doubt wondering "Should I play the first game first -- that is, the second game, in terms of story, but the first game in terms of release?" No, I don't think so. You'll miss a few jokes and a few references if you start with Critter, but not much else.
To refresh: In TBoUT, Nate and Critter showed up as a team to help the elf princess Ivo and the gnome Wilbur defeat Munkus and his evil anemone mother (anemom?). Nate is one of the few humans in Aventasia and Critter is a sort of Errol Flynn-like Cookie Monster. The prequel begins with Nate on his stolen pirate airship trying to flee Ma'zaz, the orc bounty huntress, when he runs, literally, into a flying iceberg. Said iceberg happens to serve as the temporary home of a curious explorer named Cornelius and a spaceship full of marooned Critters. In the game's subsequent four chapters we learn of Critter's undying love for Layla, the boss's daughter, then how Critter and Nate meet, and finally watch them defeat once again (well, chronologically, for the first time) our old fiend Munkus.
Critter Chronicles doesn't have as many characters or as much plot as the first game. In fact most of the action takes place on that relatively cramped iceberg. For the final three chapters you do get to switch between Nate and Critter, which helps expand the gameplay. Also, our two heroes manage to get away for one chapter to Seastone. As you may or may not recall, Seastone is the location of the Arch-Mage's magical tower. This is easily the best chapter in the game. While it borrows its gravitational tomfoolery from such earlier games as Obsidian and Ankh 3, it does so with cleverness. This is also the most challenging section, including a couple of actual standalone puzzles.
Hard mode is certainly a welcome addition but CC does still suffer a bit from Telltale-itis. The folks at King Art clearly took a lot of trouble building outrageous conundrums in CC. Unfortunately, the sheer limited number of "possibilities" often tempts the player to use brute force over exploration and cogitation. One example: In that Seastone chapter the whole objective is to open the combination lock to the Arch-Mage's office door. But the lock is so simple it takes only a few minutes to open it once you get part of the solution. I had to compel myself, after I'd popped the door, to go back and play the level the "correct" way.
A good puzzle should only seem difficult if you, the player, haven't yet put together, or discovered, all the clues. This is what makes adventure games fun and what gives a player that delicious "ah-ha" moment. Tutorial modes and hotspot highlighters and all the rest of the panoply of modern "help" aren't really helping anybody except the production company's puzzle constructors. Modern game designers have got down the cartoon graphics and the screwball plots of those old LucasArts classics, but they have yet to consistently duplicate the brilliant clockwork puzzle design.
There's nothing new to mention about Critter Chronicle's graphics, music, sounds, production, and voice acting. Just like the first game all are top-notch. One welcome change is the dialing-down of the pop culture references that threatened to capsize the first game. There are a bunch here too, but better spaced. Or maybe I simply didn't catch them. Either way, a blessing. There's one hilarious cameo appearance by a famous LucasArts villain that I won't spoil for you.
Critter Chronicles thus improves on some things over TBoUT, but is somewhat shorter and less of a grand, globe-trotting adventure. It took me 20 hours to complete the first game and about 15 to finish Chronicles. But if you enjoyed the first entry you will enjoy this one. Though I did experience some frustration at never being allowed to yank that pull-tab on the back of the tin-canned Black Guards. Maybe next time.
I should mention that I played Critter on Steam. The game downloaded and ran smoothly, though I'm still not enticed by all those gaming community perks and extras. There is, on Steam's CC game panel, a listing of unlocked achievements. Most of these are of the goofy variety, but fun. My sole Steam complaint was having to hunt for the manual in the game folder.
Like the first tale in the Book of Unwritten Tales, this second one deserves kudos for just about everything. Only its shortish length and mildly schizophrenic puzzle design dilute its well-produced rollicking good fun. I give Critter Chronicles a well-earned A minus.
PC - Minimum System Requirements
Recommended System Requirements
Mac - Minimum System Requirements


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Brown: Know before you owe
With Wall Street profits back, a new federal initiative should help residents on Main Street with their finances, a U.S. legislator says.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown addressed the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) "Know Before You Owe" initiative which should make credit card and mortgage terms easier to understand, would explain key prices, and would be written in plain language without legal jargon as well as be shorter in length. A prototype created by CFPB is two pages, much shorter than the industry average of 5,000 words.
"It is hard to believe Wall Street profits have returned to pre-financial crisis levels with the banking industry earning more than $35 billion during the first quarter of this year, almost a 50 percent increase over last year, and the highest level for profits in the last four years," Brown said Wednesday in a weekly media teleconference. "Wall Street may be back to business, but Main Street Americans — far too many who have lost their homes, their pensions, their jobs because of reckless Wall Street practices — have not been so lucky.
"The easier we can make it for consumers to understand their financial products, whether it is mortgages or credit cards," he said, "the stronger our economy becomes."
The new initiative would cover the more than 500 million credit cards in circulation, mortgage terms and student loan forms. According to J.D. Power, nearly 514 million credit cards were in circulation in the U.S. at the end of 2010.
The credit card market in the U.S. represents more than half a trillion dollars in outstanding household debt.
CFPB Associate Director Raj Date stopped in Cleveland Wednesday to explain the new initiative to state bankers and leaders.
"With rising credit card debt, it is time to level the playing field for consumers," Brown said. "One more point this is one of the many steps the CFPB are taking to give consumers as strong a voice in the marketplace and in Washington, D.C., as Wall Street and their lobbyists."
Brown said the work of the CFPB could be enhanced if the Senate would confirm President Barack Obama's nominee, Richard Cordray, to serve as director of the new bureau. The Senate is expected to vote on Cordray's nomination today.
Obama nominated Cordray, who served as Ohio's state treasurer and attorney general, on July 18, with support from Democrats, Republicans, business leaders and consumer advocates and even state Attorney General Mike DeWine, who defeated Cordray in the state attorney general's race in 2010.
Cordray currently serves as chief of enforcement for the CFPB.
"Richard Cordray is a tough and fair-minded public servant who has earned the support of top business executives, law enforcement, and community leaders from both political parties," Brown said. "It's time to end the partisan bickering in Washington and curb Wall Street's lobbying influence. We can't afford to play games with the financial security of Ohio families — who deserve an advocate in Washington as powerful as the big bank lobbyists. By confirming Rich Cordray, we can strengthen the voice of consumers and ensure that our banking system works for all Americans."
Brown bristled at the fact 44 Republican senators pledged to block his nomination unless more changes are made to weaken the CFPB — noting, "it's never happened that one political party has blocked the confirmation of someone because they didn't like the way the agency was constructed or they didn't like the fact that the agency existed at all." The U.S. senator also said they compromised with Republicans on the responsibilities and oversight capabilities of the CFPB when the bureau was created.
As state attorney general, Cordray recovered more than $2 billion for Ohio's retirees, investors and business owners and took steps to help protect the state's consumers from fraudulent foreclosures and financial predators.
Prior to his tenure as attorney general, Cordray spent two years as Ohio's state treasurer and four as the Franklin County treasurer.
Earlier in his career, Cordray was an adjunct professor at The Ohio State University College of Law (1989-2002), and served as a state representative.

subset: commoncrawl


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Posts Taggedcleanshot
With thousands of apps on the Mac App Store, there's bound to be some hidden treasures. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of apps that are just containers for sales pitches or overly designed slideshows of real estate. There are a lot of apps that, quite simply, don't belong on the Mac, and the quantity of those apps makes it difficult to uncover the true gems.
For this roundup, I searched the Mac App Store for solid-looking apps that hadn't received enough ratings for Apple to give it an average score. I didn't limit myself to one category. I just looked for apps that seemed to know what they were doing, despite not having an audience to do it to. I think I found some real treasures.


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Our goal is to provide sharpening services that far exceed your expectations and your previous experiences of having your knives sharpened. In most cases, your knife will be sharper than ever before (even when new).
Knives, shears and garden tools are sharpened using a combination of Japanese waterstones, buffers, and wet belt grinders. The result is a razor edge that lasts. We will generally fix problems with blade geometry as well as repairing broken tips, straightening bent blades, thinning knives, and even replacing handles (per quote).
We offer a 3 day and an overnight turnaround service. If time is critical, please phone us at 877-562-5233 to see when your knives will be available. Return shipping is available in the continental US at $10 for the first knife and $2.00 for each addition knife. Insurance can be purchased for return shipments.
In addition to sending knives to us, knives can be dropped off at:
The Epicurean Edge
107 Central Way
Kirkland, WA 98033
Our shop is open from 11am - 7pm Tues - Sat and noon - 5pm on Sunday.
Please note: prices may vary based on the condition of the item
Ship knives to be sharpened to:
The Epicurean Edge
107 Central Way
Kirkland, WA 98033
Be sure to include any special requests or instuctions along with your name, address, and a phone number.
Please ship knives to be sharpened carefully wrapped so that they will not move in shipping. Our postal workers will thank you!


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Gamma Knife is the gold standard of radiosurgery for:
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center has quickly become one of the leading Gamma Knife centers in the U.S., with one of the most experienced treatment teams. We've been performing Gamma Knife radiosurgery since 1999, under the leadership of Drs. Michael Chan and Stephen Tatter. Today, Wake Forest Gamma Knife Center is among the most active centers in the U.S., treating more than 350 patients per year. We are one of only a few medical centers funded by the National Cancer Institute to conduct brain cancer research using the world's most innovative therapies. Our current Leksell Gamma Knife® Perfexion™ machine is the most accurate and advanced stereotactic radiosurgery technology available.
We want to partner with you to determine the best treatment options for your patients. When you refer patients to us, we'll either meet with them in person or view their images at our weekly multidisciplinary tumor board. Then, we'll contact you with the recommendations of our experts. If your patient is a candidate for Gamma Knife, we'll keep you informed every step of the way, from consultation to treatment to follow-up. Out-of-town patients can be scheduled for an in-person consultation and treatment in one trip. Your patients may choose to return to you for follow-up care. While the Wake Forest Gamma Knife Center has renowned faculty and state-of-the-art technology, most important to us is providing excellent patient care. We invite your patients to visit our Patients & Visitors Gamma Knife website for more information.
Call 866-713-3228 to request an appointment.
Call 866-713-3228 to ask us to review patient images and recommend treatment options. Email images to Darrell Sloan (firstname.lastname@example.com) or Lisa Wilkins (email@example.com).
Call 866-713-3228
Darrell firstname.lastname@example.com email@example.com
Disclaimer: The information on this website is for general informational purposes only and SHOULD NOT be relied upon as a substitute for sound professional medical advice, evaluation or care from your physician or other qualified health care provider.


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DENVER (AP) — Three men accused of fatally stabbing five people at a Denver bar that authorities say was set on fire to cover up the killings have pleaded not guilty.
Dexter Lewis and brothers Joseph and Lynell Hill each face multiple counts, including first-degree murder, felony murder, robbery and arson stemming from the attack last October. They pleaded not guilty Friday.
Prosecutors have until July 26 to decide whether to seek the death penalty.
Investigators allege the men went to Fero's Bar & Grill intent on robbery. They were arrested after an informant for the federal government in another case told authorities he was with the men during at least part of the attack. A defense lawyer in the case has questioned the informant's credibility.


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BOSTON (AP) -- Gas prices in Massachusetts increased sharply over the past week.
AAA Southern New England reported Monday that the average price of regular gas is now about $3.60 a gallon. That's 14 cents higher than last Monday. The motor club blames the increase on higher crude oil prices.
The average price in Massachusetts is seven cents higher than the national average and 10 cents higher that the average price in the state a year ago.
AAA found self-serve regular selling as low as $3.50 a gallon and as high as $3.80 a gallon.


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The steam oven brings chocolate cake to the next level of silky and decadent desserts.
10″ springform cake pan, makes approx. 14 slices
¾ lb grated dark chocolate
10 tbsp butter
1¼ cups sugar
8 eggs
¼ cup powder sugar
1¼ cups flour
1 level tsp baking powder
4 tbsp apricot jam
½ lb dark chocolate coating
1.Melt the chocolate in a water bath. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Separate the eggs. Gradually add the melted chocolate and egg yolks to the butter mixture and beat well.
2.Beat the egg whites with the powder sugar until stiff and let it slide onto the chocolate cream mixture.
3.Combine the flour and baking powder and sift onto the egg mixture. Carefully mix everything together. Cover the base of the springform cake pan with parchment paper. Pour the mixture into the pan, level the surface and bake the cake with True Convection at 325° F for 60 minutes.
4.Allow the cake to cool in the pan. Loosen the sides from the pan with a sharp knife, turn it out and remove the parchment paper.
5.Warm the jam then spread it over the cake. Let stand in a cool place for several hours. Once cooled glaze the cake. Melt the chocolate coating in a water bath. Coat the whole cake in the glaze. Transfer the cake to a cake plate and let stand again for several hours.


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SOURCE: Crasche
January 09, 2013 10:08 ET
Leading Independent Laboratory Tests Confirm That the Crasche Middie Can Greatly Reduce the Risk of Concussion in Girls Lacrosse
Leading Independent Laboratory Tests Confirm That the Crasche Middie Can Greatly Reduce the Risk of Concussion in Girls Lacrosse
WOODBURY, NY--(Marketwire - Jan 9, 2013) - Crasche New York has announced the introduction of its newest protective headgear, the Crasche® Middie™. The product has been tested by two leading independent testing labs, and the test results confirmed that the Crasche Middie can greatly reduce the risk of concussion in girls lacrosse.
"The test results have shown that the Crasche Middie provides a very high level of protection against concussion in girls lacrosse," said Robert Emmett, inventor of the Crasche hat. "The Crasche Middie does not offer the protection of a helmet, but when used in girls lacrosse, it will reduce the risk of concussion by well over 90 percent."
In one laboratory test, the Crasche headgear was hit with the most rigid part of the lacrosse stick, at 38 miles per hour. The test results showed an impressive 94% impact resistance. The lab measurement, known as Severity Index, was reduced from over 1,050 on a bare headform to 68 on the headform covered with the Crasche headgear. A Severity Index of 300 and above is concussion level.
In another laboratory test, the latest version of the Crasche Middie was hit with a lacrosse ball at 78 miles per hour. The test results showed a Severity Index high of 268 with an average of 234, well below the concussion level of 300.
This new product fills a need in girls lacrosse, which prohibits the use of helmets in competition. In accordance with the current rules, the USLacrosse Association has allowed the Crasche Middie to be worn as protective headgear in all levels of girls lacrosse.
The outer layers of the inserts in the Crasche Middie are composed of a strong polycarbonate plastic. The inner layers are made of neoprene rubber and contain a series of air chambers that help cushion the impact and help spread the force of the impact over the entire insert.
Crasche will exhibit the Crasche Middie at Booth #728 at the 2013 USLacrosse National Convention on January 11-13 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The convention is home to approximately 5,000 lacrosse coaches, officials, administrators, players, parents and fans.
The Crasche Middie and all Crasche hats provide impact protection and are manufactured here in the United States. For more information, visit www.crasche.com.
* Additional information on the lab results is available upon request.
John C. Zaher
Hank Russell
PRMG New York
(631) 207-1057
John C. Zaher
Hank Russell
PRMG New York
(631) 207-1057
See all RSS Newsfeeds


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Pissh is a fictional brand of liquor in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto IV, its name being an evident derivative of the word "pish", a Scottish variant of "piss", a term for urine or urination. This is one of the many Scottish meta jokes in the GTA series, as the game was developed in Scotland. In GTA San Andreas, it can be seen in a 24/7 shop and also in any bar.
See also
- Pißwasser, another brand of alcoholic beverage which name is derived from a similar word.
- Logger Beer


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Lexington, N.C. – Genesis Pattern Technologies LLC, today announces the new Triple Crown patented tri-barrel shotgun from Chiappa Firearms will be available with KLOAK Cryptic Camouflage 3D patterns such as KonBat Desert, KonBat Canyon and StrutKon Spring.
Come see these exciting patterns at the KLOAK booth #11240 as well as the Chiappa Firearms booth # 11729A at the 2013 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"Offering the Triple Crown tri-barrel shotgun in KLOAK's revolutionary camouflage patterns was an easy decision," said Steve Regan, CEO of Genesis Pattern Technologies. "It's awesome to see innovative products working hand-in-hand for the benefit of the sportsman."
Click here for a product information brochure.
Genesis Pattern Technologies strives to become the international leader in the development of camouflage patterns, as well as the development, marketing and production of other outdoor products and technologies for sale to outdoor enthusiasts. KLOAK patterns are based upon mimicry patterning and cryptic colorations found in the natural world.
See Ron Norton of Chiappa firearms demonstrate the unique capabilities of the Triple Crown Shotgun below:
Chiappa Firearms Ltd. is one of the nations leading manufacturers and importers of high-quality firearms for the commercial sporting market. Chiappa Firearms Ltd. will import handguns and shotguns from leading firearm manufacturers located in Turkey.
For more information on Chiappa Firearms, visit http://www.chiappafirearms.com or contact Ron Norton,firstname.lastname@example.com.
For more information on Genesis Pattern Technologies (GPT) / KLOAK, contact: GPT/KLOAK, 395 NC Hwy. 47, Lexington, NC 27292. Ph. (336)-247-1133.www.KloakDNA.com
For information on licensing or any of KLOAK's other patterns, contact: Steve Regan,email@example.com.


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Partnerships for Environmental Public Health (PEPH)
Evaluation Metrics
Web-based Training
Learn to maximize your use of the Evaluation Metrics Manual. Check out our new online training. This training provides hands-on practice using the Evaluation Metrics Manual tools. The training also includes many video clips from a live training conducted in August 2012.
The PEPH Evaluation Metrics Manual provides examples of tangible metrics that PEPH grantees and program staff can use for both planning and evaluation. Example logic models are used as a means to develop evaluation metrics for cross-cutting PEPH themes such as Partnerships, Leveraging, Products and Dissemination, Education and Training and Capacity Building. PEPH grantees (including all project partners) are the primary target audience for this document.
If you would like to schedule a webinar to learn more about the PEPH Evaluation Metrics Manual, please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Metrics Manual
- Complete PEPH Evaluation Metrics Manual(12MB)
- Chapter 1 – Introduction(959KB)
- Chapter 2 – Partnerships(2MB)
- Chapter 3 – Leveraging(1MB)
- Chapter 4 – Products and Dissemination(1MB)
- Chapter 5 – Education and Training(1MB)
- Chapter 6 – Capacity Building(1MB)
- Chapter 7 – Principles of Evaluation(4MB)
- Chapter 8 – Appendices(460KB)
- An Instructor Guidance(700KB) document that provides a "lesson plan" for the workshop. It walks the instructor through the workshop presentation, handouts, and evaluation forms, providing suggestions for key messages and discussion questions.
- A Participant Materials(3MB) document that provides handouts for three case studies instructors can use to conduct their workshop, as well as an evaluation form.
- A PowerPoint Presentation(7MB) that contains slides the instructor can use to conduct the workshop using any of the three case studies covered in the Participant Materials. This file can be modified to fit the needs of the instructor.
This content is available to use on your website.
Please visit NIEHS Syndication to get started.
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I'm been in tactical mode lately, building an advertising management system for one of our projects. Actually it's v2, the first one is working and doing what needs to be done (definitely minimalist), but as we started looking at wrapping up the major development we decided to add a few things that had been on the wish list - but with the caveat that the time and resources to make the change were time boxed.
I tend to look at all development work from a data perspective. A lot of that comes from being a DBA of course, but also from being a business owner. I want to be able to answer the questions that matter to me, and in some cases I may not be asking the questions a developer would expect. That DBA experience also leads me toward normalized designs and in truth designs that often more complex than needed. Of course the hard part is knowing that you've exceeded the complexity threshold. The opposite end of the spectrum is the agile design approach which embraces YAGNI (you ain't gonna need it) and focuses on building for today.
Time boxing (or cost boxing) is an easy way to answer the question about too complex, though it separates the zealots from the pragmatics pretty quickly. Once you know the resource constraints, you then build a solution that you know you can get done. Survivorman is an example of this - I remember an episode where he had the choice of building a fire to feel safe, or building a platform so he could sleep off the ground and avoid most of the insects and worse. He could not get both done, he had to pick.
Back to the minimalist design. I had 2 weeks to redesign and fully implement the tables, workflow, invoice generation, and to connect to to a site was already up and running, with the final UI construction to support the design set aside as a later task. Two weeks is not long! As we worked on the design we had to make some hard choices, and the trick - to call it something - is to have a good feel for what is important and what's not, and the harder trick is to know what you can scrimp on now and change later without it causing major reconstruction.
As DBA's we should be masters of abstraction and refactoring. Between synonyms, views, computed columns, and triggers we have ways to put things in one place and make them appear differently or in a different place as needed. Only with a good understanding of the options and the final (someday) goal can you do good minimalist design, and there is definitely a subtle difference between good and not good.
You aren't always going to need it. Think about spending effort on the things that matter and setting yourself up to make changes later that will be easy refactorings.


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Everyone likes a good story. You have to think for yourself. Taking risks is scary but can have a big payoff.
These common sense (to the point of cliché) statements are at the heart of a new children's book, The Good Dog (Greenleaf Book Group Press). They are also central to its author, Todd Kessler, a creator of the game-changing children's television show Blue's Clues.
Kessler, who will read from his latest project at Books & Books on Saturday, said he hopes that Good Dog will have the same kind of transformative effect on children's books, literacy and our concept of their understanding and learning abilities that Blue's Clues did for children's television.
That's an ambitious goal for a book with a little more than 100 illustrated pages. However, that happens to be three times as long as the standard children's picture book. As with Blue's Clues, Kessler has broken the rules of children's publishing to follow his instincts and observations.
"When it comes to kids, everyone thinks they know better than the kids themselves," Kessler said from his home in Los Angeles. "They have lots of theories about what books work and what programs work, but it's not really based on anything real."
Kessler was producing live-action pieces for Sesame Street in the '90s when he noticed that his experiences as the husband of a preschool teacher and father of two young children ran counter to many tenets of that beloved children's show. Very short segments were the rule on Sesame Street, in keeping with the theory that young children couldn't follow anything longer than three minutes. But Kessler, who saw that his children loved Disney movies and who read the Little House in the Big Woods series to his 5-year-old daughter, believed you could keep children's attention much longer — as long as you had a good story.
"My experience reading my kids a book was that they really liked story and narrative … as long as it was engaging them. There was also a tendency in children's programs to talk down to kids in squeaky voices. I rebelled against that. They aspire to learn and grow up."
In 1996, Kessler and partners Angela Santomero and Traci Paige Johnson persuaded Nickelodeon executives to launch Blue's Clues, in which a guy named Steve and the animated dog Blue guide children through a half-hour mystery, on the fledgling Nick Jr. channel. Blue's Clues became the highest-rated show for preschoolers on American commercial television. It was critical to the success of Nickelodeon and the forerunner to Dora the Explorer and other shows that transformed children's television. Kessler and Blue's Clues were cited in the influential book The Tipping Point for demonstrating, among other things, the crucial insight that children learn to think and understand the world through stories that engage them.
"The original concept of kids as TV viewers … hugely underestimated kids' ability to understand," said Dan Anderson, a professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Masschusetts at Amherst whose pioneering research on children and media was part of the basis for the innovations in Blue's Clues. "In various kinds of industries that deal with kids, very often they'll base things on what's been recently successful and not on principled ideas of what kids want and can understand."
Kessler keeps his faith in complex storytelling with The Good Dog, which tells the story of Tako, an abandoned puppy taken in by Ricky, a young boy. Ricky's parents say Tako can stay as long as he is a good dog and follows the rules, and all seems well as the family opens a popular new bakery. But when the evil owner of a rival bakery, Mr. Pritchard, plays dangerous tricks to drive the family out of business, Tako must choose between breaking the rules — at the risk of being sent to the pound — and saving his family.
Not only is Tako's tale much longer than the standard 32- to 40-page illustrated children's book, it is much more complicated. Children are taught to follow rules — yet Tako must break them. The villainous Mr. Pritchard is an anomaly in the mostly benign — and often bland — world of picture books.
But Kessler asserts that children as young as 3 or 4 long for more challenging fare. "Kids love a lot of short books, but they also hunger for a real story with something real at stake," he said. He has found in readings that mean Mr. Pritchard is often children's favorite character. "They like the tension of a bad guy — learning how to deal with an antagonist is something they rarely get," he said. "Everything has to be nice."
He and Greenleaf hope that Good Dog will be adopted by teachers — although here, again, the book runs contrary to many of the usual tenets for teaching literacy. The vocabulary is far more advanced than the simple, repetitive texts that introduce reading. Yet the illustrations that help make the story comprehensible for younger kids can also make it seem too young for third- and fourth-graders who have moved on to chapter books.
But Kessler said he has found the story appeals to children as young as 3 and as old as 10. He and his wife, the art and architecture conservationist Rosa Lowinger, have a home in Miami's Design District, which led to Kessler visiting Toussaint L'Ouverture Elementary School in Little Haiti this spring. Teachers and students prepared lesson plans, art projects, cupcakes and other baked goodies to celebrate the book. The book's website is filled with testimonials from children of various ages.
As with Blue's Clues, there is research to back up Kessler's instincts. Carolyn Strom, a professor of beginning reading and curriculum development at New York University who was an educational consultant on Good Dog, said children as young as 4 can, with the right help, follow complicated stories with several sub-plots. The drama and pictures in Good Dog provide that help. Yet the mature themes — the abandoned dog who is adopted and could be abandoned again, how to deal with the genuinely malevolent Mr. Pritchard — appeal to older kids.
"This book bridges both," Strom said. "It has a sense of story for older kids, and it's comprehensible and appealing to younger kids. The readability is second grade, but the themes are related to a much higher level."
Not only is the Good Dog at odds with traditional teaching methods, its central lesson — that you can't always follow the rules — runs contrary to the obedience emphasized by schools and parents. But Kessler figures that, just like Tako, kids need to learn to think for themselves.
"When they get to be adults, we want them to use their own powers to make the best decisions possible," he said. "If you pull up to a broken red light, we expect you to make up your own mind, not to wait there for a week. At what point do children start to think for themselves? Early on they need to understand that rules are there for a reason, but sometimes they should be bent or broken."


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Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt: Post Valentine's Day Reunion in London!
Angelina Jolie keeps it casual chic while stepping out of her chauffeured car at Heathrow Airport on Saturday (February 15) in London, England.
The 38-year-old actress, who was accompanied by son Maddox, was reunited with her beau Brad Pitt upon arrival.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Angelina Jolie
The night before, Angelina and Maddox were spotted arriving for a departing flight at LAX Airport.
"[Brad]'s a kind and humble person, which is everything in this world," his Fury co-star Scott Eastwood recently shared in Town & Country in its Top 50 Bachelors February 2014 issue. "He's a great actor, but because he's proactive about developing material and getting stuff made."
20+ pictures inside of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt reuniting in London after Valentine's Day…


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Visa's introduction of a global mobile money program doesn't make it a pioneer in using handsets to tap underserved locales, but it does bring scale, open-loop flexibility and likely a lot of future bank issuers to a market that's currently heavy on regional telecom partnerships with closed-loop systems.
"As Visa acknowledges, companies like M-Pesa have paved the way for lower cost mobile based payments initiatives. If they put the right energy against this initiative, Visa should be able to bring many banks into this new payments ecosystem," says Philip Philliou, a payments consultant.
Visa, which has been gradually building up to target underbanked consumers, can use its new system to host and fully manage all aspects of a mobile money platform on behalf of the provider, including user interface design, consumer enrollment, transaction processing, authorization, clearing and settlement—targeting domestic or globally interoperable mobile money services.
The Visa service will debut in India, via a partnership with mobile carrier Aircel, and in Rwanda through partnerships with Bank of Kigali and Urwego Opportunity Bank. Those banks will offer financial accounts linked to consumers' mobile phone numbers. Aircel is India's fifth largest and fastest growing GSM mobile service provider.
"Over time as these consumers become more experienced with electronic payments, they will want to participate in more of the financial value chain and can move into savings, and lines of credit" and other services, says Ashwin Raj, Visa's head of mobile products for emerging markets.
Visa faces stiff competition, particularly as larger players cast more attention on underserved markets.
"I would say that Visa is not alone, as MasterCard also appears to also be focused on reaching millions of lower-income [consumers] through mobile banking solutions," Philliou says. "My hope is that both Visa and MasterCard will prove that there is nothing wrong with being fast-followers."
MasterCard's Mobile Money Partnership, a program aimed at providing access to underserved consumers globally, is targeting a market of about 2.5 billion consumers. MasterCard has also entered into preferred partnership deals with the mobile-money providers Comviva Technologies, Sybase 365 and Utiba.
"MasterCard is working with these and other partners to enable consumers to purchase goods and services via their mobile phones at millions of brick and mortar and online merchants worldwide, as well as transfer funds and pay bills," said Marcy Cohen, a MasterCard spokesperson, in an email.
American Express' underbanked initiatives include Serve and Bluebird, prepaid products that don't require a credit inquiry.
Visa's Financial services will include cash-in and cash-out transactions at agent locations, bill payment, remittances, topping-up air time, and buying train tickets.
"Visa has captured the three main functions that will drive adoption of mobile money, the mobile access, the ability to pay utility bills and the ability to send money to others," says Arkady Fridman, a senior analyst at Aite Group.
The system will be hosted in Visa-managed data centers, and will use technology from Fundamo, a mobile money company Visa bought in 2011 as part of the card network's strategy to extend services to underbanked regions. The scale should also aid cross-border finance, since it brings more standardized processing protocols to different markets.
"This is a sign that Visa's recent investments in mobile technology such as Fundamo are starting to bear fruit. Interoperability of various money transfer systems is a big issue, so the solutions that can help solve that challenge are positioned well for success," says Zil Bareisis, a senior analyst for Celent.
The platform offers a local connection to Visa's global payment network, VisaNet, and allows Visa, on behalf of the provider, to manage customer enrollment and mobile wallet user interface, fees, commissions and taxes, as well as apply risk management and reporting.
Providers can also enable transactions across all mobile channels via Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD-a protocol used by mobile phone operators), xHTML (Extensible Hypertext Markup Language, a key language to enable mobile commerce), and IVR (Interactive Voice Response). It also supports bulk registration, balance inquiries, PIN and account management.
"Visa is addressing many of the issues that I've encountered over the years due to the lack of a word-class [technology network] to leverage. Visa is providing that [system]," says Philliou, who has worked with Grameen Bank's micro finance banking, H&R Block's underbanked prepaid card initiatives and developments of products for low-income people in Brazil, the Caribbean and Mexico.
Visa's new tech also differs from earlier plays in that it supports both open-loop and closed-loop payments, which provides greater flexibility, says Mary Monahan, executive vice president and research director of mobile for Javelin Strategy & Research.
"To date, almost all of the mobile network operator (MNO) implementations in the emerging markets have been closed loop. This makes sense from an MNO perspective, because they are offering these services to increase customer acquisition, reduce churn, etc.," Monahan says.
If payments are open loop, then the customer is not required to stay with the specific MNO to retain the benefits of the service, Monahan says.
"But Visa's new platform will support both open-loop and closed-loop payments. Thus, this new service starts to pave the way for cross-platform and even cross-border transactions over Visa's network, at some point," she says.
Visa plans to make this openness a selling point to acquiring banks.
"In India, we launched with banks, and one of the key reasons they chose the platform is its degree of openness," Visa's Raj says. "Consumers can't be told, 'You can only use the card in this environment.' "


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Rancho Victoria Announces Phase 3 Release!
Jan 11, 2013, 06:37 EST
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., Jan. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Rancho Victoria, 32 single-family new homes in Rancho Cucamonga, announces their Phase 3 release. With prices beginning in the high $300,000's, these one- and two-story homes range from 2,023 - 2,839 square feet and feature 4-6 bedrooms. Located in the acclaimed Etiwanda School District, the low tax rate and no HOA dues makes Rancho Victoria the ideal choice for homeownership.
Phase 3 consists of eight homes adjacent to Garcia Park and these cul-de-sac homes will be available for an April 2013 move-in date. "Due to the rapid pace in sales, we are thrilled to release our Phase 3 homes four months ahead of schedule," stated Terry Kent, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Crestwood Communities.
Each home features a well-appointed gourmet kitchen with bullnose-edge granite countertops and 6" backsplash, Delta polished chrome fixtures, Beechwood cabinetry with crown molding detail on uppers and tall cabinets, and Frigidaire appliances in white, black or stainless steel. Master suites highlight walk-in closets, fiberglass tub/shower suite with framed glass shower enclosure and polished chrome hardware.
Interiors boast ceramic tile flooring and carpeting, raised panel colonist interior and wardrobe doors, drywall finished garages, pre-wired for TV and telephone (at select locations), and vinyl coated closet shelves.
Rancho Victoria's energy-efficient construction includes but not limited to: high performance dual-glazed Low-E windows, tankless water heater and landscape system with drought tolerant sod and irrigation timers.
Rancho Victoria places its residents close to the best shopping, dining and recreation destinations in the Inland Empire. Victoria Gardens, Ontario Mills and Citizens Bank Arena are just minutes from your new home while Las Vegas, Big Bear Lake and the Coachella Valley are a few short hours by car. This commuter friendly neighborhood offers easy access to a host of southland freeways including the 10, 15 and 91.
Crestwood Communities is a third generation family-owned homebuilding company where the traditional values still count. Our commitment to quality and customer satisfaction is second to none, and it shows in every home and community we build.
For more information, (909) 899-5200 or www.ranchovictoriahomes.com and www.facebook.com/CrestwoodCommunities. The sales office is open Tuesday-Sunday 10 am- 6 pm and Monday 1pm – 6pm.
SOURCE Crestwood Communities


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Challenge sheds pounds, awards 'losers'
ST. MARYS — Participants of the Grand Health Challenge and Grand Health Family Challenge are all "losers," having shed more than two tons over the past six months.
Wapakoneta Daily News Publisher Deb Zwez announced Thursday night between the 51 teams in the Grand Health Challenge and the seven teams in the Grand Health Family Challenge that finished, 4,536.73 pounds were lost.
"If you do the math, 4,536.73 pounds were lost by the participants," Zwez said. "That's pretty darn awesome. Good job everybody."
She applauded the work of all the participants.
"On behalf of the newspapers and the hospital, I do want to congratulate all of you for being a part of the Grand Health Challenge and for seeing it through to the very end," Zwez said.
Shedding 163.6 pounds, or 19.37 percent of their starting weight, Tons of Fun — which included Kendra Stetler, Aaron Beougher, Carrie Gladhill and Doug Beougher — topped the list of losers in the Grand Health Challenge and took home the $1,000 first place prize.
"It feels great," Stetler said. "We're on our way to a new lifestyle, and we're going to keep it up. Everyone has been walking and eating a lot better."
Exercising is the key to the team's success.
"One of the biggest things that everyone did was get out and move," Stetler said. "Turn off the TV and get off the couch."
The team walked and ran to keep active and leaned on each other for support. She said she hopes to continue her weight loss journey.
"I just want to keep on getting better," Stetler said.
The Fabulous Four — which includes Christie Freewalt, Jeremy Freewalt, Jason Deitsch and Holly Anderson — took home a $500 prize for their second place finish in the Grand Health Challenge, losing 157 pounds or 16.98 percent of their starting weight.
Team members said they found success in maintaining their food intake and eliminating unhealthy items.
"No pop, no fat," Deitsch said of what he eliminated from his diet. "Exercise was big, too."
Christie Freewalt noted the journey had its challenging times.
"Around the holidays and Easter when there's all the candy in the house from the kids," Christie Freewalt said describing the most challenging part. "We just threw it away."
Beauty by the Bulk — which includes Fawn Sturwold, Jennifer Duterbaugh, Lisa Bontjes and Dawn Thrush — went home with $300 for third place, having lost 150 pounds, or 14.64 percent of their starting weight. The team members agreed that getting through the first month was challenging.
"Once we got that first month out of the way, it was smooth sailing," Bontjes said.
The team took to phone conversations to motivate each other and shared food. They also weighed themselves on a regular basis.
"Every time you saw you lost a pound or two, it motivated you," Sturwold said.
Of the 91 teams that started the Grand Health Challenge, 51 completed it, losing 3,924.53 pounds. Of the 20 teams that started the Grand Health Family Challenge, seven finished it, losing 612.2 pounds. The Carnivores — which includes Ron, Brigid, Aaron and Zach Hegemier — took home the $1,000 first place prize as the winner of the Grand Health Family Challenge.
Brigid Hegemier said the team was happy with the work they had done.
"It feels fantastic," Brigid Hegemier said of winning the challenge. "It feels wonderful. Before we came today, we said 'win or lose, we've won our life back.' "
Brigid Hegemier said her physician told her to get involved in the challenge for her health and her family joined with her. She noted the family began adding exercise to their daily routine.
"We added a lot of daily exercise," Brigid Hegemier said. "I worked on the health food and gave it to them, too."
The changes they made affected their way of life, Ron Hegemier
"It was a lifestyle change," Ron Hegeier said. "We kept to the simple things."
While the changes were challenging, Zach Hegemier noted the importance of pushing through.
"It gets easier," Zach Hegemier said. "You just have to power through."
The family plans to continue with their lifestyle change.
"We're still working in it," Brigid Hegemier said. "The journey has just begun."
The Grand Health Family Challenge was possible through a grant from The Dannon Company, Zwez said.
"They presented a grant to the hospital, so Anne Larger and her team put together that program that allowed us to expand and adapt to the existing challenge to accommodate families," Zwez said. "That grant allowed one prize of $1,000 given to the family that lost the greatest percentage of their starting weight."


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|Baby carrots made with a traditional butter and brown sugar glaze.
Brown Sugar Butter Glazed CarrotsHonestly, what would a holiday be without some kind of glazed carrot on the table? One of my favorites is Julia Child's savory glazed version, slow stewed in beef stock and butter, but the orange juice and cane or maple syrup glazed is another great version too. This is probably the more classic holiday glazed carrot, made with a traditional brown sugar and butter glaze.
While these don't take that long to prepare, they take very easily to storage and reheating, making them a perfect make ahead side dish for the holidays. Use either regular carrots, scraped and cut up, or baby carrots as I did here.
Here's how to make them.
Recipe: Brown Sugar Butter Glazed Carrots©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
Prep time: 10 min |Cook time: 10 min | Yield: About 4 to 6 servings
- 1 pound of baby carrots, rinsed
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of butter
- 1/4 cup of light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon of dried parsley
Boil carrots in salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain well; set aside. To the pot, add the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon; cook over low heat until butter has melted and sugar has incorporated. Add carrots to the pot and toss until well glazed. Season with salt and pepper; taste and adjust. Add parsley and toss. Transfer carrots to serving bowl and pour glaze all over the top.
Cook's Notes: May also substitute a pound of carrots, cut into 1/4 inch coins. These are an excellent candidate for reheating, so make them ahead and simply warm them before serving. You may also use regular long carrots - just scrape, rinse and cut into bite sized pieces of slices. Add a little orange zest and juice for a citrus flavor.
Source: http://deepsouthdish.com
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A day on the campaign trail with Charlie Baker
A day on the campaign trail with Charlie Baker
Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker and his wife, Lauren Baker, had coffee and breakfast before Baker left for a long day of campaigning on Oct. 26.
Lauren Baker rested her head on her husband's shoulder during breakfast while they looked over a newspaper article that they felt was unfair to Charlie.
Charlie and Lauren Baker said goodbye before Charlie left his house in Swampscott.
Baker met with his campaign staff at his headquarters in Brighton.
Newspaper cutouts and handmade cartoons adorn a wall of the Baker campaign headquarters.
Baker demonstrated how low and awkward the seating was at a previous on-camera debate with Martha Coakley.
Baker spoke to a member of the media (right) while his communication director, Tim Buckley, left, recorded his comments at a campaign stop at the Castle Island Haunted House in South Boston.
Baker took a selfie with Wanda Kiely, left, of Braintree and June Payne of Hanover at a campaign stop at the Castle Island Haunted House in South Boston.
Gavin LeBlanc, 2, of South Boston could not be interrupted as he carefully lined up his candies while Baker (behind him) hugged supporters.
Rainey Fiasconaro, of South Boston couldn't contain her excitement at seeing Charlie Baker. "Every day I pray! I want him in!" shouted Fiasconaro.
Two-year-old Charlie Spicer of Boston badly wanted a nap during a campaign event at The Banshee Pub in Dorchester.
Baker said a surprise "Happy Birthday" to Kate Costello, 83. Costello is blind and did not expect Baker to show up at her small birthday party held at a home in South Boston. "I pray the rosary for Charlie twice a day," said Costello.
Baker spent several quiet minutes in the church social hall before a gubernatorial candidate forum hosted by the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization at Fourth Presbyterian Church.
An official timekeeper used handmade signs to signal when the speakers ran out of time during the forum hosted by the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization at Fourth Presbyterian Church.
Baker on his phone in the church social hall before the forum at Fourth Presbyterian Church.
Baker left Fourth Presbyterian Church after the forum.
Baker spoke to members of the media after the gubernatorial candidate forum.
Baker waved goodbye as he got into his car.


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PITTSBURGH, Oct. 6, 2009 - Children with autism between the ages of six and 12 years are invited to participate in a research study examining the use of an investigational medication to relieve symptoms associated with autism. The study will take place at the Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC. Autism is a developmental disorder that is characterized by impairments in communication and social interaction skills, as well as the presence of stereotyped patterns of behavior.
The study will require eight visits occurring once every two weeks at the Merck Child Outpatient Clinic, Franklin Building, 1011 Bingham St., in the South Side of Pittsburgh. There are no costs to participate in this research study. Evaluations, study visits and medication are provided free of charge. For the purpose of this study, the medication is investigational, meaning that it has not been approved for this use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
For more information about the study, call Sarah McAuliffe-Bellin, M.Ed., toll-free at 1-866-79-STUDY.
Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences
Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit www.healthwise.org
For help in finding a doctor or health service that suits your needs, call the UPMC Referral Service at 412-647-UPMC (8762) or 1-800-533-UPMC (8762). Select option 1.
UPMC is an equal opportunity employer. UPMC policy prohibits discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, sex, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, familial status, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected group status. Further, UPMC will continue to support and promote equal employment opportunity, human dignity, and racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity. This policy applies to admissions, employment, and access to and treatment in UPMC programs and activities. This commitment is made by UPMC in accordance with federal, state, and/or local laws and regulations.
Medical information made available on UPMC.com is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should not rely entirely on this information for your health care needs. Ask your own doctor or health care provider any specific medical questions that you have. Further, UPMC.com is not a tool to be used in the case of an emergency. If an emergency arises, you should seek appropriate emergency medical services.
Pittsburgh, PA, USA | UPMC.com


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Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS), or laparoscopic surgery, is an alternative to traditional open surgery for many conditions. Simple cases like weight loss, hernias and gallbladder problems as well as complex conditions like esophageal cancer and adrenal tumors can be treated with laparoscopic surgery. Surgery done this way accomplishes all the goals of the open operation but uses smaller incisions. This means less pain, shorter recovery times and a decreased risk of developing a hernia, as well as a better looking abdomen when all is said and done.
In addition to conventional laparoscopic surgery, our surgeons offer single incision or single port surgery for selected procedures. Single port surgery is a technique that maximizes the cosmetic outcome of laparoscopic surgery.
Drs. Carl Westcott, Adolfo (Fuzz) Fernandez, Stephen McNatt and Myron Powell, are board certified surgeons who specialize in the field of Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS/laparoscopic surgery). Each year the service performs in excess of 1200 cases; 75% are elective laparoscopic cases who are worked up in the clinic and operated on as outpatients or with a brief hospital stay. In addition, the laparoscopic service performs a large number of foregut (hiatal hernia, GERD/reflux, and esophageal cancer) and solid organ surgeries like splenectomy, adrenalectomy, esophageal cancer surgery, achalasia surgery, hiatal hernia surgery, and living donor nephrectomy.
Appointments -0664 Option 1
Disclaimer: The information on this website is for general informational purposes only and SHOULD NOT be relied upon as a substitute for sound professional medical advice, evaluation or care from your physician or other qualified health care provider.


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Credit Where It's Due
Is it possible to use a charge card to do good and reap rewards?
Dear My Goodness, A fabulous American Express ad series ran during the Academy Awards this year—with great music and visuals—about donating and volunteering through American Express. The most inspiring ad, to me, featured Geoffrey Canada, the Harlem Children's Zone founder, urging us to join the American Express Members Project to do good.
So here's my question: What is the advantage of doing my charitable giving or volunteering via American Express? Why not contact the charity of my choice on my own?
—Cleo in St. Louis
Dear Cleo,
There's no question that the Members Project is good for American Express. There's also no question that it will bring new donors to worthy and carefully vetted charities like the Harlem Children's Zone. And there's no question that some cardholders will be inspired to donate not just by the impressive TV and magazine ads, but because American Express will reward donations and volunteering with points redeemable for plane tickets, hotels, and a cornucopia of products. The main ways to get involved are to register online and vote for a favorite charity to get funding from American Express, to volunteer for an AmEx-approved cause, or to donate to an approved cause. (You don't have to be a cardholder to participate, but you do have to register.)
The financial services company, with assets of more than $100 billion, wishes to fold you into its family—a family of generous people who'd like to improve the world. When we first see Geoffrey Canada on-screen, he's identified as "Cardmember since 1996." The ad's final message is: "Take charge of making a difference."
The company benefits and the charities benefit, but I was unable to gather from Nancy Smith, the American Express vice president for global media, content, and community in charge of the project, an answer to your question: What's the advantage for the individual participant? In our telephone interview, she returned to the good feeling of being part of a movement, and to the financial rewards. She also stressed how much easier it is to give using the card.
But how hard is it to write a check to a charity you like?
Smith declined to say how many people had registered since the project's March rollout, but AmEx says it will dole out $1.2 million to six charities in the first round of Members Project grants. Speaking pleasantly in the language of corporate press releases, Smith described the program thus: "We're looking for different ways in this world to empower success. We're giving back, being a good citizen. It's part of our brand."
The goal for American Express is that, next time you charge something, you pull out your AmEx card rather than your Visa, MasterCard, or Discover card. Better yet, if you're not a cardholder, they'd like you to become one.
They know this can work. Back in 1983 after a campaign in which a penny for each use of the American Express card and $1 for each new card issued went to restoring the Statue of Liberty, transaction activity went up 28 percent in the first month of the campaign and there was a 45 percent jump in the number of new card applicants. (The campaign raised $1.7 million toward Lady Liberty's $62 million fix-up.)
In the course of that campaign, American Express executive vice president for worldwide marketing Jerry Welsh coined the term cause-related marketing.
"CRM is not philanthropy," Welsh said in an interview last year, "it's rather marketing through an artful association with a charitable cause." The artful association is an attractive strategy for tough economic times as consumers become more careful in their spending and more conscious of the effects of their consumption. There's even an organized Cause Marketing Forum that gives prizes. I particularly like the 2009 Golden Halo Award winner for best environmental campaign—the New Belgium Brewing Company's "Tour de Fat," a bike festival. Another Golden Halo winner was the National Basketball Association's "Send a Net. Save a Life. See a Game," offering free basketball tickets for a $10 donation to buy anti-malaria bed nets.
There has been some negative reaction to businesses linking with charities, including a thoughtful article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review by University of Nebraska public administration professor Angela M. Eikenberry about what she calls consumption philanthropy. Eikenberry says it's too easy, trivializes the causes, and isn't really generous. (There is, by the way, a cause marketing group operating with the name Selfish Giving.)
Andrew Benett, CEO of the advertising firm Arnold Worldwide and author of the forthcoming book Consumed, believes customers are tired of "charity labels slapped on every product." A better trend, he thinks, is supporting companies whose business interests align with strategic philanthropy. He points to Starbucks using fair trade coffee, or companies giving back to communities where their employees live: "I'd like to see more transparency. I'd like to know that they're doing the good they're doing because it's good for business."
So, Cleo, I'd take a look at the Members Project Web site and see if it works as a way for you to send more positive attention and donations to the charity you care about. Finally, generosity doesn't necessarily mean being altruistic. If your points for volunteer hours and charitable donations add up to a week in Paris, I don't think anyone will suffer.


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Lucien Maxwell
Once inhabited by Jicarilla Apache and Moache Ute Indians, Philmont Scout Ranch was later the site of one of the first pioneer settlements in northeastern New Mexico. The present Ranch is part of the original Beaubien and Miranda Land Grant that the Mexican government granted to Carlos Beaubien and Guadalupe Miranda in 1841. Beaubien's son-in-law, a mountain man named Lucien Maxwell, led the first settlers to the grant in 1848. With the help of his friend Kit Carson, Maxwell's settlement on the Rayado River prospered despite frequent Indian raids and harsh wilderness conditions.
Maxwell moved his ranch north to the Cimarron River in 1857, the site of present-day Cimarron. There it became a famous stop on the Santa Fe Trail, bringing U.S. trade goods into New Mexico. Ten years after Maxwell moved to Cimarron, gold was discovered on his ranch near Baldy Mountain. For years afterward, the mountains and streams of Maxwell's Ranch swarmed with prospectors and miners.
In 1870, Maxwell sold his ranch to an English land company known as the Maxwell Land Grant and Railroad Company. After several years the land was again sold to a Dutch-based company that tried several development schemes, but eventually it sold the land in tracts for farms and ranches.
Kit Carson
One of those interested in the New Mexico tracts was an Oklahoma oilman, Waite Phillips, who had become interested in developing a ranch out of the old land grant in 1922. He eventually amassed more than 300,000 acres of mountains and plains in a ranch he named Philmont (derived from his name and the Spanish word for mountain, "monte").
The Philmont Ranch became a showplace. Immense herds of Hereford cows and Corriedale sheep grazed its pastures. Phillips built a large Spanish Mediterranean home for his family at the headquarters and named it the Villa Philmonte. He developed horse and hiking trails throughout the scenic backcountry, along with elaborate fishing and hunting cabins for his family and friends.
Waite Phillips
Waite Phillips believed in sharing his wealth with people outside his family. In this spirit, he offered 35,857 acres of his ranch to the Boy Scouts of America in 1938 to serve as a national wilderness camping area. The area was named Philturn Rockymountain Scoutcamp (after Phillips' name and the Scout slogan "Do a Good Turn Daily"). Fees for the first summer were set at $1 per week per camper, and 189 Scouts from Texas, Kansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma arrived for the first experience at a national backcountry Scout camp.
After observing the enthusiastic response of the first Scout campers, Phillips augmented his original gift in 1941 with an addition that included his best camping land, the Villa Philmonte and the headquarters of the farming and ranching operation. The second gift was made so that "many, rather than few" could enjoy his rich and beautiful land. Phillips was quoted in the Tulsa Daily World saying: "That ranch represents an ideal of my youth ... and has meant a lot to my son and his pals. Now I want to make it available to other boys. ... I'd be selfish to hold it for my individual use." The property, now totaling 127,395 acres, was renamed Philmont Scout Ranch.
Phillips realized that the cost for maintaining and developing the property could not and should not be derived entirely from camper fees. As an endowment he included in the gift his 23-story Philtower Building in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The first season of Philmont Scout Ranch in 1942 welcomed only 275 Scouts, and attendance remained low during the war years. However, in 1946, Scouts from all 12 regions of the country attended Philmont Scout Ranch. Programs and backcountry camps were continually being developed and, in 1949, workers began rebuilding Kit Carson's adobe home at Rayado - a project that Phillips had urged the Boy Scouts of America to undertake.
By 1950, Scouts were attending Philmont from almost every BSA Council; attendance was more than 1,700. However, in 1951, it jumped to more than 5,200 and passed 7,000 in 1954. During the 1950s, adult and family attendance increased, with the establishment of the Philmont Training Center.
In 1963, through the generosity of Norton Clapp, vice president of the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America, another piece of the Maxwell Land Grant was purchased and added to Philmont. This area was the Baldy Mountain mining region that consisted of 10,098 acres. Today, the ranch's total area is approximately 214 square miles!
Philmont Scout Ranch, the Boy Scouts of America's premier High Adventure™ base, challenges Scouts and Venturers with more than 214 square miles of rugged northern New Mexico wilderness. Backpacking treks, horseback cavalcades, and training and service programs offer young people many ways to experience this legendary country.
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Thoreau's suggestion that Congress might be improved by a greater awareness of the natural world was a serious one. Being outdoors this first day of spring should remind leaders and voters of a calendar beyond the election cycle – and a web of connections that transcends party.
On this first day of spring, as another cherry blossom season arrives in Washington, I find myself thinking of Henry David Thoreau, who once wryly observed that "much more is adoing" in the world than Congress knows about.
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The last round of the 2012 V8 Supercars championship, won by Will Davison, was also the end of an era. The Sydney 500 was the end of the Ford v Holden 20-year stoush, and the cars, as we know them. Next year it's all change with the introduction of the Car Of The Future and new manufacturers.
The main difference with allowing other car marques to enter the championship, is that the rules are pretty strict about what you can enter with. All the chassis are the same and most of the running gear and plumbing is strictly controlled.
The series will be without one of the rising stars of the category, New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen. The 23-year-old announced recently he's leaving the sport and heading home for a bit of down time and has been released from his Stone Brothers Racing contract.
"It was good to finally let everyone know [leaving the sport] and get on with it and get the last race done," said van Gisbergen.
Jamie Whincup confirmed his fourth V8 Supercars championship by coming home in a solid fifth on Saturday, which was won by his teammate Craig Lowndes. Van Gisbergen's last hurrah came unstuck after he was forced into the wall on lap one damaging his steering. As he was trying to make it back to the pits his steering broke completely and the medical safety car collected him.
The other Kiwis in the field, Greg Murphy and Fabian Coulthard also failed to finish.
Yesterday's race was a repeat for van Gisbergen who again didn't make it around the circuit after a clutch failure. Murphy didn't much better getting fired into the wall five laps later.
Davison took the chequered flag from Lowndes and James Courtney.
Young Kiwi Scott McLaughlin backed up his V8 SuperTourers championship win a week ago by taking out the Australian V8 Development series. The 19-year-old was also handed the keys to the Gary Rogers Motorsport main game car replacing the ill Alexandre Premat.
"This is awesome. One of the best weekends ever," said McLaughlin.
McLaughlin came home 17th on debut.


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Costly grace is the hidden treasure in the field, for the sake of which people go and sell with joy everything they have. It is the costly pearl for whose price the merchant sells all that he has; it is Christ's sovereignty, for the sake of which you tear out an eye if it causes you to stumble. It is the call of Jesus Christ which causes a disciple to leave his nets and follow him.
Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which has to be asked for, the door at which one has to knock.
It is costly, because it calls to discipleship; it is grace, because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly, because it costs people their lives; it is grace, because it thereby makes them live. It is costly, because it condemns sin; it is grace, because it justifies the sinner. Above all, grace is costly, because it was costly to God, because it cost God the life of God's Son․"you were bought with a price"․and because nothing can be cheap to us which is costly to God. Above all, it is grace because the life of God's Son was not too costly for God to give in order to make us live…
Grace is costly, because it forces people under the yoke of following Jesus Christ; it is grace when Jesus says, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:30).
For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:20
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually. Psalm 105:3-4
Pray for the church and for all Christians, that they may proclaim and practice costly grace.
Thank you, O God, for the costly grace you have offered me freely and which has made me a disciple of Jesus.
40-Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Copyright © 2007 Augsburg Books, imprint of Augsburg Fortress.


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Billy Joe TolliverRetired
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News | Stats | Stat vs. Team | Targets | Injury | Depth Chart | Roster
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|Patriots | Team Notes and Injury Update
Fri, 28 Sep 2001 14:31:53 -0700
The Boston Globe reports that the team decided not to sign either QBs Billy Joe Tolliver or Eric Zeier. The team will go with WR Bert Emanuel as it's third string QB. Emanuel was a QB at Rice. NT Jace Sayler (knee) has had a knee problem for a while and is the back up to Richard Seymour (leg) who has a leg injury. If C Damien Woody (neck) can't play, look for Grey Ruegamer to play in his place.
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|Patriots | Tolliver Also Visiting
Wed, 26 Sep 2001 07:47:24 -0700
Jay Glazer reports for SportsLine.com the New England Patriots also brought in free agent QB Billy Joe Tolliver on Tuesday night for a workout. As reported, the team also brought in former Falcons QB Eric Zeier. Both QBs are in New England this morning.
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|Packers | Roster Moves
Tue, 21 Aug 2001 19:44:51 -0700
Packers.com reports on the same day the team was officially awarded QB Michael Bishop off waivers from New England, the team waived veteran QB Billy Joe Tolliver. The team also acquired DL Giradie Mercer off waivers from the Patriots. TE Troy Drayton was also waived. DT Matt Keneley, waived injured August 19, has been placed on injured reserve.
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|Packers | Battle for No. 2 QB
Sun, 19 Aug 2001 16:19:22 -0700
The Press-Gazette reports QB Doug Pederson is clearly winning the battle for the No. 2 quarterback spot in Green Bay during practice but the team still plans to let QB Billy Joe Tolliver run with the second-string offense on Monday night.
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|Packers | Favre Takes A Break
Mon, 06 Aug 2001 19:59:52 -0700
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Michael Cunningham reports the Green Bay Packers gave QB Brett Favre the day off today. Favre rested his arm for the first time in nine days of training camp. Backups Doug Pederson, Billy Joe Tolliver and Henry Burriss took all the snaps in the morning and afternoon practices. Favre said he was in agreement with the plan, designed to help him avoid the elbow problems that plagued him early last season.
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|Packers | QB Notes
Sat, 04 Aug 2001 22:28:48 -0700
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports the QB rotation for Saturday night's scrimmage for the Green Bay Packers was Brett Favre, followed by Doug Pederson and then Billy Joe Tolliver. Henry Burris, the CFL import, did not play. Favre was sharp, completing seven of eight passes for 91 yards, in the full-contact portion of the scrimmage.
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|Packers | More on Tolliver Signing
Wed, 18 Jul 2001 10:52:01 -0700
The Green Bay News-Chronicle reports Green Bay Packers QB Billy Joe Tollivers contract is for one year and will pay him the minimum salary of $477,000. Tolliver is expected to battle with Doug Pederson for the back up job to Brett Favre.
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|Packers | Tolliver Signed
Tue, 17 Jul 2001 08:06:43 -0700
Packers.com reports the Green Bay Packers have signed QB Billy Joe Tolliver to a one-year contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
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|Packers | Tolliver To Participate in Training Camp
Wed, 11 Jul 2001 13:05:07 -0700
The Green Bay Post-Crescent reports the Green Bay Packers have made an agreement in principle with QB Billy Joe Tolliver. Tolliver will be competing with QB Doug Pederson in training camp.
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|Packers | Interested in Tolliver?
Fri, 06 Jul 2001 07:30:34 -0700
The Green Bay News-Chronicle, citing ESPN's John Clayton, reports the Green Bay Packers may be interested in signing free agent QB Billy Joe Tolliver, who was recently released by the Chicago Bears. Calls from the Chronicle to the Packers and Tolliver on Thursday were unanswered.
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|WA Seasonal Temperature Outlook: probabilities for August to October 2003, issued 16th July 2003
Increased warmth favoured in WA during late winter/mid-spring
The Bureau's latest seasonal temperature outlook shows generally large swings towards warmer than average daytime and night-time temperatures over much of country for the late winter to mid-spring period.
Click on the maps above for larger versions of the maps. Use the reload/refresh button to ensure the latest forecast maps are displayed.
|More information on this outlook is available from 9.00am to 5.00pm (WST) Monday to Friday by contacting the Climate and Consultancy section in the Bureau's Perth Office: (08) 9263 2222.
THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE SEASONAL OUTLOOK IS EXPECTED BY 19th AUGUST 2003.
Maximum temperature departures from average for April to June 2003 - base period 1961-1990
Minimum temperature departures from average for April to June 2003 - base period 1961-1990
Background Information


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In the 70's Fred Carl Jr., a fourth generation building contractor was building kitchens for his clients and saw many of them used commercial ranges in their home. When it was time for him to build his own kitchen, he realized the commercial ranges that were offered were not well suited for the home. His wife wanted a classic looking range like the old Chambers, her mother used to use. His solution was to create a hybrid range that would combine the look and styling of commercial ranges and yet have the safety features and sizes home consumers desired.
Consistency in both performance and design should be a major consideration when building or remodeling a home. With the complete Viking indoor or outdoor kitchen, every single product works together in form and function with the same level of excellence. It's something Viking calls Design Integrity.
Viking offers complete ultra-premium kitchens and truly consistent design, while delivering the quality and performance that make Viking the true market leader. Across all product categories, the knobs, handles, bezels, curves, angles, and lines all follow the same design cues â even the grain of stainless is the same from product to product. This enables the designer to create a perfectly harmonious kitchen in one of three Viking product offerings â Professional Indoor, D3 Indoor, or Professional Outdoor.
You wouldn't install mismatched cabinets and drawers or countertops. Yet design differences are even more dramatic between multiple appliance manufacturers. Traditional or contemporary. Stainless or color finish. No matter the look you're going for, no one can match the Viking kitchen and Viking Design Integrity.
Viking Ventiliation
As a gourmet, you want to fill your kitchen with only the freshest ingredients â including the air. And Viking ventilation systems not only silently subdue even the most pungent cooking aromas, they look fantastic doing it.You also have plenty of fantastic looks and options to choose from â classic chimney hoods, streamlined wall hoods, countertop downdraft systems, and microwave hoods. You can even create a totally custom look. Whatever your style, Viking ventilation keeps it fresh.


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Image Gallery: Rays
When people think of 'rays' they are generally thinking of stingrays. These fishes (family Dasyatidae) have long, slender, whip-like tails. There are, however, rays with leaf-like tails (family Urolophidae) and others with short, spiny tails (Rajidae) as well as other families that look different again. Rays are a surprisingly varied group.


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The fine series of chamber music concerts we enjoy in Hampton Roads gets underway this week with the Shanghai Quartet.
Each season, two chamber music groups — the Feldman Chamber Music Society in Norfolk and the Chamber Music Society of Williamsburg — join forces to bring in several ensembles. Concerts dates are usually Mondays at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Norfolk and Tuesdays at the Williamsburg Regional Library theater.


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This lithograph features a Hubble image of the galaxy cluster Abell 2744, which exhibits a special feature known as gravitational lensing. The backside includes a description of the image and its features. Students use the image and the information... (View More) provided to generate related questions, then conduct research to find the answers. Lesson details, including suggested research websites, are provided. (View Less)
This is a two-page lithograph featuring the Cepheid Variable Star RS Puppis, an example of a special class of bright pulsating stars whose light and energy outputs vary over a set period of time. The text on the lithograph explains the historic... (View More) importance of Cepheid variable stars as distance markers. The accompanying classroom activity In Search of … Cepheid Variable Stars is a curriculum support tool designed for use as an introductory inquiry activity. During the classroom activity, students use the images and text on this lithograph to generate questions about Cepheid variable stars. They will conduct research to answer their questions and will create a presentation to demonstrate their understanding of the material, providing supporting evidence from their research. (View Less)
This image from the Hubble Space Telescope reveals a panorama of turbulent star birth, located close enough to Earth that Hubble can resolve individual stars. The star factory resides 170,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small... (View More) satellite galaxy of our Milky Way. Included are suggestions for using this in the classroom and an introductory activity in which students use the images and text on this lithograph to generate questions, and research answers, about star formation. (View Less)
Students will use educational materials from NASA's Cosmic Times to create their own mash-up (an image, audio or video created by combining two or more sources of media into a new work). This lesson offers the opportunity to use media mash-up... (View More) technology, to acquire knowledge through differentiated instruction, and for students to present their knowledge, ideas and individual perspectives. The lesson includes links to handouts, procedures, and introductory mash-up videos. (View Less)


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|Softail Rocker C FXCWC : 2008–2011
|Softail Rocker FXCW : 2008–2009
5 out of 5 stars (based on 28 reviews)
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The exhaust looks and sounds very nice. The overall performance is very poor, and I'm very dissatisfied. The ad reads that Cobra powerport will increase power and overall performance. I don't think so! I found that it was neccesary to do a lot of modifing and experimenting with the carb to get the engine to produce a somewhat reasonible amount of power. My bike is a '93 Softail, slightly modified 1340cc engine, S&S 'E' carb equipped. Spoke to S&S tech line. They are very knowlegable. They gave me instructions. I printed the carb manual on-line, followed their instructions. After several carb modifications, the engine does perform well in the lower to mid range, not at all satisfied with top end power. I phoned S&S tech line again and they came to the same conclusion that I came to: that's as good as it's going to be. When you increase throttle completely from say 2500 rpm, the rpm rise is very slow, tops off at 3,500 rpm. I have 2 other sets of pipes, one set is slightly shorter than the Cobras. I'm able to run a main jet .010 larger, without doing any other mods to the carb. In high gear at cruising speed and fully accelerating, the rpm's climb quickly from 2500-4000 rpm. I wouldn't have replaced these pipes, but they're really discolored. They don't have shields. If anyone is looking for real performance, I would strongly discourage them from purchasing these pipes.
Looks great and sounds even better!
Looked and sounded very good on my Harley.
Delivery was very quick with no damage.Product installed with no problems and looks great.Would not think twice about buying from JP Cycle.
Awesome sound, look amazing.
Bolted right on. Great look and sound. Love it
vtx1300s,sound is great,looksare fantastic.two people to install is helpful.hooked right up no problem.between my 2008 Harley and this Honda ishould be buying stock in j&p.
The exhaust system is great, like the sound and such. With two people the process of installing went along smoothly. Instructions were very clear as to what to do, which made the process much easier.
I ordered the Cobra Speedster Slashdown exhaust and had it delivered 4 days later - Awesome! It took only about an hour to take off the stock exhaust and install the Cobra's--very easy to install with the simple directions. They look and sound spectacular. Pipes alone add very little power, but combine these pipes with the Cobra Powerflo air intake, which I did and BOOM! Definitely notice an increase in the snap of my Honda Fury as it pulls me harder into the back of the seat. Love the pipes!
Just installed Cobra's Slash down on my 2006 C90. WHAT a difference. They are better than I expected. Throaty but won't irritate the neighbors unless ya want to. Installation wasn't too bad. They could use more than one small diagram. After a bit of fuss it all went together with great fit. I used the Cobra 2000 digital processor which went in easy and exactly as directed. Harley eat your heart out!
Love the sound!
Amazing sound. I set off car alarms just idling :)
Gave the bike the deep throat sound I was looking for.
great sound nice boost of power
I am more than happy with this exhaust. It gave the sound I was looking for and they look great.
The pipe looks awesome and sounds great.
Fits and looks good.
These pipes sound awesome on my VTX1800! The installation was a little more difficult than I imagined but not too bad, due to the fact the pipes fit so snugly together, the heat shields were a bit difficult to put on but overall it was worth the trouble! Loud pipes save lives!
I love the sound and the chrome on these pipes on the vtx 1800t but the bend around the clutch is just off compared to the vtx 1800f Cobora pipes they wrap the clutch way nicer!
THE pipes sound great I used the Cobra jet kit as well.
Pipes sound cool, gives the V-Star 1100 a nice low growl over the Bub's piles that came with my bike, love the slashdown look... only problems I have with these pipes was during installation, the nut-plates that mount the muffler segment to the included support are just crimped on, both nut-plates came right off and I ended up having to cut them out by the bolt end... got some new hardware from hardware store and now they're mounted very securely.
With the expected solid construction by Cobra, these pipes look and sound awesome & certainly draw attention to your machine.
Great sound and easy install. Chrome on tips bubbled and was replaced quickly. Now a year later the tips are bubbling again, not sure if this will be a recurring issue.
Pipe instalation was no problem. Look good, sound great.
Excellent, great product, sounds awesome!
I recently purchased this exhaust and when combined with the Fi2000R my 2007 V Star 1300 actually came to life. This product is amazing and holy balls it sounds GOOD!! After putting 2000 miles on the stock exhaust this was a much welcome improvement and man the power is really there. Installation of both the exhaust anf the computer was extremely easy. All I have to say is Excellent work COBRA !!!!!
Love the look and sound. Add quite a bit of power.
I installed these in about 8hrs on my '10 Vulcan 1700 Classic along with the FI2000R processor and K&N air element and they sound great and added a definite step up in regard to performance; and they look real good. Very satisfied with my purchase.
Note: Please see U.S. EPA and your respective state and local regulations to confirm noise and emission compliance.Important Exhaust Notes:• Note: With any new exhaust, we recommend changes to carburetor jetting or use of an aftermarket fuel injection control module.• There is no warranty on exhaust pipes and mufflers with regard to any discoloration. Blueing is caused by tuning characteristics, cam timing, carburetor jetting, overheating, etc. and is not caused by defective manufacturing. No refunds on exhaust pipes once motorcycle is started unless there's a manufacturer's defect.• Flanges and retaining rings are not included with most aftermarket exhaust for 1984-2013 Evolution and Twin Cam models. Re-use your existing hardware, or purchase replacement hardware.
Additional oversized shipping charges will be applied for expedited shipments within the contiguous U.S. Shipping charges outside the contiguous U.S. are calculated by weight and dimension during checkout. Due to state regulations we cannot ship this item to the state of California.
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Hayley Atwell snubbed a modelling career when she was younger over fears the British actress would be "very restless" in the profession.
The Captain America: The First Avenger star met with bosses at the Storm agency over a possible job, but she ultimately decided she wanted a different career.
She tells The Independent Magazine, "I can't imagine it if beauty was the only currency I used as an actress. It just doesn't interest me.
"I remember there was an opportunity when I was younger to model... I went to Storm modelling agency and the woman just went 'I think you'd be really bored'. Not to say I haven't met incredibly bright models but I'd feel very, very restless."


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Untraditional Firm/Company Holiday Traditions
Most of us expect the day after tax season or the few days following an important audit deadline to be a bit laid back around accounting firms and companies—it's time to come to work in jeans and go out to a long lunch.
Let's face it – the accounting profession isn't necessarily known for doing something out of the norm when it comes to making merriment. That's why the holiday season is a great time to break out of the box and celebrate in untraditional and unusual ways.
Edge surveyed a few accounting firms and companies to find out what they felt was different about their holiday seasons. Here are their responses:
Nina M Chmura, CPA, manager, and Justin O'Horo, CPA.CITP, senior manager, WithumSmith+Brown:
At WithumSmith+Brown, we have the Withum Week of Caring the just before Thanksgiving, where each person in the firm volunteers a minimum of 4 hours to a cause. Here's a YouTube video of last year's effort.
Eric Majchrzak, shareholder and chief marketing officer, BeachFleischman:
BeachFleischman holds its holiday party in January after all of the typical year-end holiday activity is over so that employees can enjoy a party that is not specific to any certain holiday. In addition, we invite employees and family members to meet at the office for pizza and to allow the small children to decorate the lobby Christmas tree. Since only the small children participate in decorating, the lower part of the tree is decorated and the rest of the tree is left without decorations.
Joshua W. Partlow, CPA, partner, Johnson Lambert LLP:
Rather than a holiday party during the hustle and bustle of the season, we allow our staff to enjoy time with friends and family in December. In January, we typically have a weekend ski trip in Stowe, Vermont, with employees and spouses as a way to recharge at the spa or with a day of skiing before busy season hits in full force. We are looking to potentially mix this up moving forward to make sure we are meeting the needs of various interests.
Emily Burns Perryman, APR, Integrated Media & Digital Strategy supervisor, Freed Maxick CPAs, P.C.:
We adopt families during the holidays to help them with needs they have during the cold winter months here in Western New York.
Trisha N. Nomura, CPA, partner, PKF Pacific Hawaii LLP:
We always do some sort of holiday community service project and support different organizations each year. In the past, we decorated miniature Christmas trees for patients at a children's hospital and provided holiday decorations for homeless families transitioning into their first home. We share the photos from our project at our holiday party since all of our spouses and significant others are also there.
We also hold firm elections and announce the winners at our holiday party. Each year, the staff comes up with the categories and organize the voting. Last year, they did a superhero theme, for example, "Batman and Robin" for Best Duo.
We also ask our employees for a "wish list" of items and use that to purchase door prizes for our staff. Each employee receives tickets when they check in and will place them into the bags for the prizes they would like to win. Prizes have included gift certificates to popular restaurants, an Amazon Kindle, one year of Netflix, an iPad, and a Tiffany necklace.
Katie Tolin, director of Practice Growth, Rea & Associates, Inc.:
Our Cambridge (Ohio) office does a unique take on a gift exchange. Everyone draws the name of a coworker then goes and buys a toy that reminds them of that person. At their holiday party, they open the toys and have a good time laughing at the reason behind why the toy was selected. At the end of the party, the toys are gathered up and donated to Toys for Tots. This allows them the sense of buying for one another, but ultimately helps those that need it most.
Jimmy J. Williams, CPA/PFS, CFP®, president and founder, Compass Capital Management, LLC:
Our firm sponsors a No-Attendance Required Christmas Party to benefit the Choose to Give (C2G) organization. The purpose of the "no attendance" provision is to allow clients to send or drop by their unwrapped gift or dollar donation that benefits the needy children in our area. Our firm then matches, usually in toys or children's clothing, the total dollar value of gifts received from our 'guests' to the Christmas Party. We deliver the gifts to the local C2G Office and receive a great blessing by helping those in our community.
Another unusual tradition our firm initiated was renting the local movie theatre for our clients and inviting them to a private screening of the current year's most popular family Christmas movie. We provide drinks and popcorn to all attendees, as well as small gift from the firm to start their holiday season! It has always been a big hit with clients and serves as a method of them referring and introducing people to our firm in a non-business setting.
And our last entry … about Halloween: Rachael K. Sarson, CPA, senior staff accountant, Craighead, Lange and Hough, P.C.
We do a Halloween costume contest and an ugly sweater contest! Each one wins a trophy!
What are some of your untraditional holiday traditions? Send us an email firstname.lastname@example.com to let us know and we'll contact you back to run them in a future Edge article.